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20.
Greater interest is being shown in dental treatment in the
Maternity and Child Welfare eases. The following Table gives a
comparison between 1938 & 1945:-

Proa the foregoing there is evidence of a greater interest in
the preservation of the teeth in the mothers, end considerably less
Cross dental disease among the toddlers, as indicated by the
extraction figures.
The improved state of dental health in both Schools and Welfare
Centres is partly due to dietetic factors to which reference was
rja.de in the report for 1944, but still mainly due to the education
and treatment carried out in the Centres.
The orthodontic scheme continues to develop rapidly, over 500
children being under treatment during the year, for whom 269
appliances were constructed, mostly of the removable type.
During the period of development of this scheme, each Dental
Officer has carried out orthodontic treatment, a central clinic
having been conducted by the Chief Dental Officer for consultative
purposes. There is much to commend the actual practice of a
certain amount of orthodontic treatment by every Dental Surgeon
engaged in children's dentistry, but the present dimensions of the
scheme are interfering with routine dental inspections and treatment
and the appointment of an orthodontic surgeon to take over the bulk
of this work is now receiving consideration. There appears to
have been an increase in the incidence of malocclusion of recent
years, mostly of the type associated with thumb or finger sucking.
Such habits are usually associated with unresolved anxiety in parly
childhood and the increase may well bo due to the domestic stresses
and disturbances occurring in so many families at the present time,
X-ray facilities continue to be provided by arrangement with
the Hendon Cottage Hospital, the number referred reaching the new
high level of 198. The Emergency Medical Services Pathological
service carried out 4 histological investigations during the ycer.
Penicillin was mrdo available for a number of cases of Vincent's
stomatitis bjr arrrnc ement with the Isolation Hospital, '
School and Maternity dentrl treatment was a difficult problem
twenty years ago due to the fear end mistrust still lingering in
the minds of the public as r legacy of conditions prior to the
passing of the Dentists let, 1921. In a comparatively short
space of time, de land for treatment in this Borough has far
outstripped supply end the great majority of children have come
to look upon periodic visits to the dentist es pert end parcel of
their educational environment. Herein lie the seeds of a development
that may eventurlly lead to a far better standard of dental
health for the populace as a whole."